Latitude
-1.9437057
Longitude
-1.9437057 29.8805778
Overview
GM Crops Planted
-
Hectarage
Area (ha) under GM Crops
Terms & Acronyms
Food, Feed or Processing (FFP)
Genetically Modified (GM)
Note
Commercial Release / General Approval cover Food/Feed Processing approval.
The approval decision on this site are only post 2015.
Biosafety Laws, Regulations
& Guidelines
Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)
Oversight by: National Biosafety Committee
Rwanda’s national biosafety framework is built on a comprehensive legal and regulatory foundation including the National Strategy for Implementation of Biosafety Framework, 2020 which provides a general framework for safety in research, development, release, trans-boundary movement, use and application of biotechnology products containing organisms with novel traits. Rwanda’s Law n° 025/2024 of 16/02/2024 governing biosafety establishes a science- and risk-based framework regulating all phases of GMO utilization – contained use, confined field trials, environmental release, marketing for food, feed, processing, import, export, transit, handling, packaging, labeling, transport, and storage – while exempting pharmaceuticals. The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is designated as the National Competent Authority and focal point for Cartagena Protocol obligations. It is supported by a National Biosafety Committee and Institutional Biosafety Committees, which evaluate technical applications and ensure compliance. Permit requirements mandate comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies. Public notification and stakeholder consultation are obligatory. The law empowers REMA to issue ministerial orders defining committee roles, application procedures, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms. Therefore, the Prime Minister’s Order no 006/03 of 18/02/2025 governing the National Biosafety Committee determines the composition, responsibilities and functioning of the National Biosafety Committee, and the term of office of its members; and the Ministerial Order no 001/MoE/25 of 13/01/2025 on the application for a permit for living modified organism related activities determines modalities, requirements and procedures, and information required for application for a permit to carry out living modified organism related activities.
Genetically Modified (GM) Crops Approvals in Rwanda
and the Field Trials approvals for each crop. The approval’s decisions reported on this site only go back to 2015.
Potato
NO FFP Only Approvals
No Commercial Release Crops at the moment
| Event Code | Trade Name | Traits | Developer | Date of Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late blight-resistant Shangi potato | Insect resistant, drought tolerant | National Root Crops Research Institute-Nigeria | 2025-08-14 |
Cassava
NO FFP Only Approvals
No Commercial Release Crops at the moment
| Event Code | Trade Name | Traits | Developer | Date of Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassava brown streak disease-resistant cassava | Resistance to Cassava Brown Streak disease | Donald Danforth Plant Science Center | 2025-09-03 |
Importation Regulatory Snapshot for
GM Food, Feed, or for Processing
Application Process for GM FFP
Import Permit
Biosafety Laws, Regulations & Guidelines
Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)
Oversight by: National Biosafety Committee
Rwanda’s national biosafety framework is built on a comprehensive legal and regulatory foundation including the National Strategy for Implementation of Biosafety Framework, 2020 which provides a general framework for safety in research, development, release, trans-boundary movement, use and application of biotechnology products containing organisms with novel traits. Rwanda’s Law n° 025/2024 of 16/02/2024 governing biosafety establishes a science- and risk-based framework regulating all phases of GMO utilization – contained use, confined field trials, environmental release, marketing for food, feed, processing, import, export, transit, handling, packaging, labeling, transport, and storage – while exempting pharmaceuticals. The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is designated as the National Competent Authority and focal point for Cartagena Protocol obligations. It is supported by a National Biosafety Committee and Institutional Biosafety Committees, which evaluate technical applications and ensure compliance. Permit requirements mandate comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies. Public notification and stakeholder consultation are obligatory. The law empowers REMA to issue ministerial orders defining committee roles, application procedures, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms. Therefore, the Prime Minister’s Order no 006/03 of 18/02/2025 governing the National Biosafety Committee determines the composition, responsibilities and functioning of the National Biosafety Committee, and the term of office of its members; and the Ministerial Order no 001/MoE/25 of 13/01/2025 on the application for a permit for living modified organism related activities determines modalities, requirements and procedures, and information required for application for a permit to carry out living modified organism related activities.
Navigate & Discover Everything About GMOs
Langauge
Yes
Does the country plant GM crops?
2024
Since
No. of GM Crops Species
